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how to use pie dough
One of the best things about pie is the crust. You can make your own using our Pie Dough recipe or buy it from the store. Follow these steps to get your flaky, buttery goodness looking ready for pie!
Rolling Homemade Pie Dough
Before pie dough goes into the pie plate, it needs to be rolled into a flat, even circle. Follow these two easy steps to roll out homemade pie dough. Be sure to start with pie dough that has been refrigerated for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days, unless you’re making Pumpkin Pie. (If you’re making Pumpkin Pie, immediately roll out, shape, and blind bake your pie dough.
You will need a rolling pin and a ruler to roll out pie dough.
Rolling Homemade Pie Dough_2 up
- Sprinkle flour over clean counter. Unwrap pie dough and discard plastic wrap. Place dough on floured counter and sprinkle dough with a little extra flour. Use rolling pin to roll dough out from center.
- Turn dough a quarter turn and continue to roll out to 12-inch circle (or as big as specified in recipe), rotating dough and reflouring counter in between rolls.
Shaping a Pie Shell
After you have rolled out your pie dough, it’s time to shape it in the pie plate. You will need 1 recipe Pie Dough and the following equipment to shape your pie shell:
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- Kitchen shears
- Fork
- Plastic wrap
Shaping a Pie Shell (steps 1-3)
- Place rolling pin on bottom edge of dough, then loosely roll pie dough around rolling pin. Hold rolling pin over 9-inch pie plate and gently unroll dough, letting extra dough hang over edges of plate.
- Use one hand to gently lift edge of dough and use your other hand to gently press middle of dough into bottom of pie plate. Repeat all the way around dough until dough is pressed into bottom and against sides of pie plate.
- Use kitchen shears to trim edge of pie dough to about ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate.
Shaping a Pie Shell_Steps 3-6
- Use your fingers to fold extra dough under itself onto rim of pie plate.
- Use your fingers and knuckles to crimp edges of dough.
- Use fork to prick bottom and sides of shaped pie shell all over, about 40 times. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is very firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Blind-Baking Pie Crust
Sometimes pie fillings don’t need any baking (see Pumpkin Pie), but the pie crust still does. Baking a pie crust without any filling is what the experts call blind-baking. You will need 1 recipe Pie Dough, rolled out, shaped into a pie shell, and chilled—or 1 round store-bought dough, shaped into a pie shell and chilled. You will also need the following equipment:
- Aluminum foil
- Pie weights (or dried beans, raw rice, or sugar)
- Baking sheet
- 2 cooling racks
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove pie shell from refrigerator and discard plastic wrap. Cover pie shell with large sheet of aluminum foil and gently press foil against bottom and sides of dough, keeping edges covered. Fill foil-lined pie shell with pie weights (or dried beans, raw rice, or sugar).
- Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place cooling rack in baking sheet. Place pie shell on baking sheet, place in oven, and bake for 45 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven (ask an adult for help) and place on second cooling rack. (Move slowly so pie plate doesn’t slide!) Ask an adult to remove foil and pie weights (pie weights will be VERY hot). Crust will be pale golden brown.
- Return baking sheet to oven and continue to bake until edges of pie crust are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven (ask an adult for help), place on second cooling rack, and let pie shell cool completely, about 1 hour.
